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October 30, 2013

World Series 6: Red Sox 6, Cardinals 1

Shane Victorino's three-run double in the third inning ignited the Red Sox offense and John Lackey (6.2-9-1-1-5, 105) held the Cardinals at bay as the Red Sox won their third World Series championship in the last ten years.

World Series MVP David Ortiz (.688/.760/1.188) reached base four times - on four walks, three of them intentional - and scored two runs.

Stephen Drew socked a solo home run in the fourth inning. ... Jacoby Ellsbury was on base four times and scored twice. ... Jonny Gomes and Victorino were on base three times each.

After Lackey left the game in the seventh with the bases loaded, Junichi Tazawa retired Allen Craig on a grounder to first. Brandon Workman pitched a perfect eighth and Koji Uehara retired the Cardinals in order in the ninth, striking out Matt Carpenter to end the game - and the 2013 season.

(*: In 1916, they clinched in Boston, but played their home World Series games at Braves Field because it had a greater seating capacity.)

The Red Sox have two chances to grab one win and defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 World Series. In a season that has been such an amazing turnaround from last year's dismal summer, perhaps it is fitting that John Lackey - who has undergone a remarkable villain-to-hero transformation - gets the ball in what will be a raucous night in Boston. (OTM's Brendan O'Toole writes a bit about Lackey and "redemption" here.)

Shane Victorino is "full go" for Game 6, according to manager John Farrell. Jonny Gomes (left field) and David Ross (catcher) will also be in the starting lineup.

Farrell said that lefty Felix Doubront - who pitched well in Games 3 (25 pitches) and 4 (32 pitches) in St. Louis - will be available out of the bullpen.

It was the middle of spring training, just another day in a month and a half of Groundhog Days, when Boston pitcher Ryan Dempster gave just another absentminded "Hey, how ya doin'?" to teammate Jonny Gomes. What Gomes responded with was anything but ordinary, foreshadowing what the year might hold from a band of rogues and grinders that would come to resemble sloppily hirsute Civil War re-enactors.

Replied Gomes, "One day closer to a parade." Such has been the spirit and will of the 2013 Sox.

A victory in either tonight's game or Thursday's Game 7 will give David Ortiz three World Series rings with the Red Sox. Two Boston players - Harry Hooper and Heinie Wagner - won four championships (1912, 1915, 1916, 1918). Ortiz is the only player from the 2004 team still with the Red Sox.

14 comments:

Hey Allan, I'd be curious to know your take on the 1904 World Series and the official unwillingness to tally that for the Sox. In my own small mental universe I see that as a forfeit -- Sox win. Do you know the history of this well and to what extent has MLB considered a retroactive accounting of this.

Last night having some baseball withdrawals. I watched four days in october on you tube. It still amazes me they won that series with the yankees. Everything pointed to a loss. The funniest thing in that video is Pedro saying he had no idea he was going to pitch in game 7, then the " who's your daddy" chants started. Good stuff.

I for one, am happy fr Lackey. When he launched that pitch in his first start to the backstop and then grabbed is arm in pain I thought it was over fr him. I thought he blew out his arm. Alas, it was a mere flesh wound and he pitched phenomenally fr the rest of the year.

This one is more like 04 than 07 was because this one was about where they came from.

Allan, I posted this on the boards but I'll repeat it here: I enjoy the daily postings and I enjoy spending time on the boards during the season.

The 2013 season is memorable in its own special way, not just because this team won it all, but because the players and coaches proved all the doubters wrong and played like champions from start to finish.

It's hard to imagine a better experience, but I probably said that after 2004 and 2007.

I am always and forever a fan of the Boston Red Sox AND a fan of this site. Enjoy the parade and the hot stove season; I look forward to being at Opening Day next April at Fenway Park to watch the DEFENDING WORLD CHAMPION BOSTON RED SOX open another season!